


A Dove's Dilemma

by BlackPencilKitten



Series: PersonaShima [3]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 22:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11091402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackPencilKitten/pseuds/BlackPencilKitten
Summary: He expected to be alone, to deal with it by himself, but sometimes the unexpected can help more than the expected.





	A Dove's Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> I've got a set idea for Mishima being a persona user, I'll expand on that in another story when I have the time.  
> Also have some more angst, I'll be drinking your tears.  
> He Who I Shall Not Name are the Capitalized Pronouns that aren't Mishimas.  
> This was supposed to be Goro/Mishima except I realized a Pinocchio Mask would probably impale Mishima and make matters worse so eh.

Yusuke was a perceptive guy, to put it simply. He noticed the little details in life, minor things that made people more alive in his opinion. That guy's buying a ring to get married, that girl just finished a popsicle judging by the sticky substance on her mouth, that man needs a new umbrella that he can't afford, and that cat seems shy but friendly judging by her relaxed state in her owner's arms.

However, life's not just flowers and rainbows, after all. He also noticed the way the man's eyes dart around nervously, how that woman has a burn scar right above her left eye, how the kid flinches when someone holds a hand out to him. They're small, trivial, but they too bring life to those who have those details. They reveal a bit of their backstory, a tiny glimpse at their life. It makes each and every individual unique, different, their own person.

But one person he noticed a lot of these in was Mishima.

He doesn't miss the way his eye twitches when he looks around, like he fears someone was going to find him, or the way he smiles when he's trying to hide something, or how he started putting on makeup to hide the bruises on his face that had yet to heal. Sometimes during their time in Mementos he sees him lagging behind the rest of the group, defensively holding his staff like one of them was going to hurt him. It's impossible to miss the times where he snaps at someone, before quickly apologizing and running off. A few people in the group chalked it up as social awkwardness, but Yusuke knew it wasn't that, because _he_  was the one that was socially awkward, according to the few times a member of the group called him weird.

When he happens to catch Mishima entering the Mementos by himself, he's not far behind, waiting only five minutes before joining himself. The Mementos had dropped him into the route that Mishima had taken, which Yusuke assumed was because you couldn't go through more than one route at the same time. After a moment to collect himself, he started searching for his friend.

 

Of all the things Mishima had heard today, the sound of another person entering the Mementos was not one he had wanted to hear. He did everything he could to be careful, to not let anyone know what he was doing, and  _still_ someone found him?

**_Pathetic, coward, loser-_ **

"No, no no no no no-you aren't here, you aren't HERE-" he said to himself, quickening his pace.  _Get to the nearest station, get to the nearest station-_

"--shima?"

That voice, that wasn't Him but then why were the memories-no no no IT IS NOT HIM-

Already the images of the teacher's room were appearing, of Him at his desk, of a student exiting on the verge of tears as he entered, but he's not there, he's in the Mementos, he's nearing the station, he's NOT THERE-

 

There He is, pissed as always and cracking His knuckles before standing up from His seat.

"I assume you already know why you're here, unless you're too dumb to know that too." He said, glaring down at him like He does to every guy on the volleyball team.

"...Yes sir." Mishima had learned a long time ago what to say so that the punishment was hopefully less severe. But it all boiled down to His decision.

"You missed  _another_ ball during practice. It had been WEEKS, Mishima, and yet you haven't improved at all. I'm starting to wonder if I need to call your after-school clubs and get permission for you to come to after-school practice, since you skip regular practice when you don't 'feel well'. Do I need to do that so you aren't so fucking useless, for to show a  _sliver_ of talent at this sport?"

"..." Whether he says or something or not doesn't matter, he already knows what's coming.

"DO I?" He screams, punching him and shoving him back towards a desk.

"No sir." It feels cowardly to want to keep up with his other activities, to want to do things that 'wouldn't get him a job later in life', but he doesn't have the option to quit, none of the people on the team do.

"Then you better start showing up to practice, you little shit, or it's only going to get worse for you, you understand?!"

"Yes sir."

 

"--ve?"

"-ove."

"Dove!"

Everything snaps back, the room dissolving back to the grotesque walls of the Mementos, the concrete floor of the train station, and...a fox mask-no, HIM-

Mishima  _screams_ and shoves Him back, backing himself against a wall. The staff in his hands feels unfamiliar, like it's not even there.

"---hima what's going on-"

"I'M SORRY SIR SHIHO WASN'T FEELING WELL-"

 

"IS THAT A FUCKING EXCUSE?" He was back, holding Mishima up by the collar of his shirt.

"N-No sir-"

"WHEN I ASK FOR YOU TO BRING SOMEONE TO MY ROOM, I EXPECT YOU TO BRING THEM TO MY ROOM, NOT FOR YOU TO GIVE SOME  _FUCKING EXCUSE_ BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO LAZY TO GET THEM."

"B-But that's what she s-"

"STOP FUCKING LYING!" He threw Mishima across the room, Mishima crashing into desks and chairs, head throbbing in pain and body aching. He was coming towards him again, like a pissed off bull that wouldn't stop until he was  _dead._ "I DON'T WANT ANYMORE OF YOUR STUPID EXCUSES, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Y-Yes sir! I-I'm sorry sir-"

"YOU BETTER FUCKING BE, OR I'LL-"

 

"DOVE!" Yusuke yelled, grabbing his wrists to stop him from wacking him with his staff.

This time everything blurred back to reality like a dream slowly dissolving. There was a fox mask in front of him- Fox, it wasn't Him. It's....it's Fox.

"Dove, answer the questions I ask, OK?"

"O-OK." He hardly noticed how fast and uneven he was breathing, focusing only on the voice he was hearing, the voice that wasn't His.

"What is your codename?"

"D-Dove, I'm Dove."

"Where are you right now?"

He had to look around, hazily taking in the maroon color of the walls, how they looked like veins-

"M-Mementos, I-I'm in the Mementos."

"Where is ---------?"

He doesn't-he can't respond, his mouth is open but he can't talk, frozen in fear.  _If I talk I'll get hit, if I don't talk I'll get hit, there's no point, it's all my fault-_

"Dove." Fox says, his thumbs rubbing small circles on Mishima's wrist. "I need you to answer me. You're safe, you need to say this. Where is Kamo-----?"

"H-He...." Words fail him again, a few tears falling. He's not here, He's not here, just  _say it._ "He's in....."

"Where is Kamoshida?"

"JAIL!" Mishima yells as more tears start falling, his throat hurting even though he's barely talked. "H-He-Kamoshida's in jail."

"That's right, He's not here. He never will be. Repeat after me, you're safe."

"I-I'm safe." He hiccups, his grip on his staff weakening.

"You are protected."

"I-I am p-protected." The tears fall like a waterfall now, Mishima sniffling.

"It's going to be OK."

"I-It'll....b-be OK."

Fox slowly pulls him into a hug and Mishima sobs into his shoulder, holding onto his jumpsuit like it's the last time he'll ever see it and dropping his staff. 

"It's not your fault, what happened to Shiho. She's OK, and she's recovering. Remember what Panther said?"

Mishima could only nod into his shoulder, his tears soaking Fox's shoulder. "S-She can t-talk."

"That's right, she can talk now. She's getting better, she'll be OK. What happened wasn't your fault."

"I-I know it w-wasn't...but i-if I had taken her p-place, maybe-"

"Don't continue. What happened happened, we can't change the past, only the present and the future." Fox fell silent after that, pondering over what to say next. He didn't need to for long though, because Dove spoke first.

"Th-Thank you."

"You're welcome." Fox picked him up, letting Dove hold onto him like a koala as Dove wrapped his legs around him, his staff dissolving until it was needed again.

"C-Can we go home?" Dove asked, sniffling as the tears slowed down, but not stopping.

"Of course we can." Fox responded, using Fast Travel to warp their way to the Main station, before heading up the stairs back to the real world.


End file.
